The St. Vincent Church in Montreux

17 March 2021

Montreux (Canton of Vaud) is derived from monasterium, the Latin word for a monastery. The church of St. Vincent was the centre of the village.

The monastery’s location indicates where the old centre of Montreux was until the 19th century. Nowadays, one drives past this beautiful monument, which is also worth visiting.

The first building phase dates from the eighth to the ninth century during the Carolingian Empire and then the Burgundian Kingdom (888-1032). The Romanesque contours are still visible. The interior was adapted to Gothic in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

After Bern’s occupation of the Land of Vaud (Le Pays de Vaud) in 1536, the church was converted to the Protestant faith and has since been called Le Temple. The modern stained glass windows are by local artist Jean Prahin (1918-2008).